Most British high school graduates take a year off before university to volunteer abroad, the so-called gap year. After 20 popular years, the gap year's nature and necessity is being questioned by Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), a UK-based international volunteer-sending organization. VSO claims, among others, that gap years are becoming "outdated and colonial." Mike Pallis of The Guardian reacts on the changing faces of gap years. Read article

Plummeting volunteer numbers are the equivalent of a dead canary down a mine; a timely warning to do something about the circumstances that led to its death. Any data that will help build a true picture of volunteering in Australia and help us plan for a sustainable volunteering future is critical. Read article

With expertise and time in their hands, most retirees refuse to slow down and "fall prey to the rocking chair." Here are some tips from a "hipster" on what to consider when recruiting senior volunteers. Read article

In a society in which people are increasingly living solitary lives in modern cities, the safety and mutual aid of the village community is past. Amid mounting modern anxieties people are increasingly inclined to take responsibility for their own safety. This impulse is giving rise in Japan to voluntary efforts to prevent disaster and crime. Read article

You can basically purchase anything from anywhere around the world in the Internet. In the web world, you'll also find missing highschool classmates, create virtual communities and make friends. Yet, how come we still can't find a reasonable site that makes volunteering easier? One that does away with making tedious phone calls or awkward face-to-face visits? Read article